Ten things to see at 3 Days of Design 2026

Heralding the arrival of summer, Copenhagen’s 3 Days of Design festival – this year taking place 10–12 June – is always a highlight of the cultural calendar, with dozens of exhibitions and installations of contemporary design taking over the city.

Less sprawling than the behemoth of springtime’s Milan Design Week, 3 Days of Design offers a chance to engage with the best of new furniture and decor – through a refined and distinctly Scandinavian lens. Craftsmanship, natural materials and wellbeing tend to be central. Since its debut in 2013, the event has grown to become a significant moment of trend-setting, talent-scouting and community connection in the design world.

The festival’s theme for 2026 is ‘Make this Moment Matter’, eschewing the tendency to focus on the past or future in preference for the present, and gently calling on design to possess a sense of ‘purpose’.

Here are six highlights to see during 3 Days of Design 2026.

Six things to see at 3 Days of Design 2026

'At Play' by Georg Jensen

Since her appointment in 2024, Paula Gerbase has been inspiring in the way she has been quietly shaking up heritage silver company Georg Jensen. For 3 Days of Design, the creative director is staging a games extravaganza, inspired by summer traditions of play with both a contemporary twist and a mood that’s rooted in Georg Jensen’s history of material honesty and purity of craftsmanship. Titled ‘At Play’, the immersive installation also nods to the company founder’s own fascination to nature: ‘He grew up in a small village of craftspeople north of Copenhagen, spending his days playing and roaming freely in the surrounding woodlands,’ says Gerbase. ‘This spirit of playfulness and exploration runs throughout the house’s 121-year history.’ Expect walnut and sterling silver interpretations of classics from a ring toss to a yo-yo, and much more. Writer: Rosa Bertoli

Højbro Plads, 1200 Copenhagen

‘Objects of Desire’

The 19th-century Thorvaldsens Museum serves as the impressive backdrop for this group exhibition of contemporary furniture and objects, carefully curated by Copenhagen-based designer Birgitte Due Madsen.

The works on show, including a table made using ottchil lacquer by Korean designer Rahee Yoon and a modernist-inspired birch armchair by French studio Sausset Leou, invite visitors to slow down, look closely, and engage with the craftsmanship underpinning them. ‘These are pieces designed for longevity,’ says Madsen. ‘Objects that can be returned to, lived with, and appreciated across years, even decades.’

Bertel Thorvaldsens Plads 2, 1213 Copenhagen

‘Knife, Fork, Spoon 3.0’

Cult Los Angeles design and art gallery Marta comes to Copenhagen to present an exhibition of artistic, 3D-printed cutlery sets by 12 international designers. Curated by editor and collector Dung Ngo, and with support from furniture company Design Within Reach (DWR), the exhibition centres flatware as a vehicle of creative expression, cultural unity and technical evolution.

Through 3D-printing, the works on display embrace rapid prototyping, complex forms, reduced material waste and simplified supply chains. Designers include Lagos-based Nifemi Marcus-Bello, American jewellery maker Jacqueline Rabun, and Polish artist-designer Marcin Rusak (watch our short film). The exhibition is staged within the Ark Journal showcase, ‘Design/Dialogue’, which also features design brands such as cc-tapis, MDF Italia and Vaarnii.

Den Frie Udstilling, Oslo Plads 1, 2100 Copenhagen

Material Matters

The event dedicated to material innovation and responsible sourcing in design, Material Matters – founded in London by Grant Gibson – brings together a range of designers, brands and startups that are trying to change the game.

Exhibitors this year include Malai Biomaterials, an Indian studio developing textiles and objects made from bacterial cellulose grown on coconut waste, and Spanish company Birdmind, transforming agricultural waste into circular materials for architecture and interior design. Plus, London design studio Mitre & Mondays collaborates with the American Hardwood Export Council and Benchmark to showcase sustainable approaches to foresting and using hardwood timber.

Gammel Dok, Strandgade 27B, 1410 Copenhagen

‘Compositions’ by Aarticles

Aarticles, the Copenhagen gallery-marketplace co-founded by Fred Aartun and Kasia Sznajder, has made waves for its impeccable curation of craft-driven furniture and decor from an international array of independent designers. For 3 Days of Design, it hosts ‘Compositions’ in a historic apartment turned creative workspace.

The group exhibition presents objects from successive collections brought together to reveal the layered approach of design practice. Featured makers include celebrated Californian sculptor and furniture designer Vince Skelly, who makes his European debut, Copenhagen-based design duo Christian + Jade, and Korean metalworker Yeodong Yun.

Christian IX's Gade 1, 4th floor, 1111 Copenhagen

‘¿Jaime, What Are You Doing?’

Danish paint and plaster brand St Leo presents a deeply personal exhibition from Spanish designer Jaime Hayon, conceived as a tribute to Hayon’s late mother.

‘¿Jaime, What Are You Doing?’ features sculptures and furniture pieces in materials including glass, ceramic, marble and bronze, all of which reflect Hayon’s distinctive, artistic approach. Works have been selected for their sentimental significance, and Hayon has accompanied them with personal handwritten anecdotes.

Trelleborggade 5, 2150 Copenhagen

Other Circle

A large group show which debuted last year, Other Circle is not an official part of the 3 Days of Design programme, but has already attracted a sizeable following for its sharp curation of trendsetting emerging and established talent. Hosted at The Lab, a former industrial complex in the Nørrebro neighbourhood, Other Circle was established by a group of creatives working across the fields of architecture, design, fashion and branding.

This year, expect the likes of South African designer Lea Colombo, who crafts colourful furniture from monolithic rocks, and Tokyo-based Nao Iwamatsu, whose interior design products are grounded in ‘narrative minimalism’. Meanwhile, design platform Volum presents the cutting edge of Norwegian talent; London-based designer Emma Clarke unveils a collaboration with Swedish furniture brand Joy Objects that centres urushi lacquer; and Indonesian initiative Wasted transforms discarded plastic into new functional objects.

The Lab, Vermundsgade 40, 2100 CPH

Aalto 90 Pavilion by Iittala

The work of Alvar Aalto is a constant source of inspiration for Finnish company Iittala, and this year's 90th anniversary of the legendary Aalto Vase is proving to be an opportunity to think beyond the tabletop. Danish design studio Tableaux Cph and Norwegian aluminium specialist Hydro have worked with the Finnish company in a Nordic collaborative extravaganza, creating a seven-meter-tall pavilion that recreates the undulated forms of the vase, with a futuristic twist. Writer: Rosa Bertoli

Ofelia Plads

Japanmade Vol. I

In Japanmade Vol.1 Japanese design is interpreted through a Danish perspective. Danish-born Wallpaper* Japan editor Jens H. Jensen – who has lived in Japan for more than twenty years – has teamed up with fellow Danes at OEO Studio – which has a project office in central Tokyo – to explore this connection. ‘My aim with Japanmade is to highlight contemporary design made by real craftspeople, objects that are built to last a lifetime. The quality of the materials and finishing touches is on a completely different level.’

The selection includes work from five brands working exclusively within Japan and across a broad range of materials – from washi (Japanese paper), solid brass, hinoki wood, soy wax and even plastic. Works will be presented on staging made from cardboard pallets – a low-carbon solution that OEO and Jensen hope will make the experience feel more like visiting a gallery than a traditional interior design exhibition. Writer: Ali Morris

Dampfærgevej 2, Nordhavn

Bread and Butter

Making its debut in 2025 with the theme of ‘perfect pairings’, group exhibition Bread and Butter offers a gentle approach to the design of traditions. After a first edition focused on dining, the curation now thinks beyond the table, looking at bathing culture and bringing together a series of wellness traditions from Japan to Denmark. Designers are invited to offer their take on these rituals, which range from John Tree’s bucket/stool (guided by a memory of his parents helping him in the bath by sitting on a stool and pouring water from a plastic bucket, a tradition he carried on with his children) to Studio Large Medium Small’s vessels inspired by the halved shells used in Korean bathing culture. Writer: Rosa Bertoli

Sankt Peders Stræde 35A, 1453 Copenhagen